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March 28 - July 8, 2025
think in my past life I must have given terrible pain to other living beings and thus this pain is now being felt by me. Surely life will not leave one until the appointed time arrives. Otherwise, why does death not claim me now, who am tormented by Kaikeyi and beholding my dearest son wearing the robes of an ascetic?”
Neither kindness nor education nor gift nor even marriage ties can capture the hearts of these women.” Kaushalya loved Sita as a daughter.
she shed tears born of both delight and agony, being moved by Sita’s piety and at the same time anguished at the thought of her imminent departure.
“Please do not show my father sad expressions, heightening his grief. Fourteen years will pass quickly, even while you sleep. You will rise one morning to find me returned with Sita and Lakshmana, surrounded by friends and relatives.”
“Please forgive any unkind words or acts which I may have said or done out of ignorance because we have lived closely together.
Sumitra came up to say good-bye. Embracing her son she said, “Serve well your elder brother Rama, my dear son.
Always see Rama as you do your father Dasarath, look upon Sita as myself, your mother, and see the forest as Ayodhya!”
The charioteer was perplexed, hearing from behind the king calling out, “Come back!” and then being ordered by Rama to drive quicker. Rama said to him, “This pain should not be prolonged further. Make haste! If my father reprimands you when you return, you should simply say you could not hear him.”
Thinking of Rama and Sita entering the forest, Kaushalya cried out in pain. How would they survive? Exactly at a time when they should have enjoyed the luxuries of life, they were banished and made to live like ascetics. When again would she see them? Surely in some past life she had committed some grievous sin. For that reason she now suffered such terrible pain. She lamented loudly, “O Rama! O Lakshmana! O Sita! Where are you now? The fire of my grief tortures me today as the blazing sun scorches the earth in summer!”
Sumitra spoke softly. “Being ever attended by the loving Lakshmana and followed by his devoted wife, Rama will feel no discomfort. Even the sun will withhold its scorching rays from Rama’s body, seeing his boundless virtues. A gentle and soothing breeze will always blow softly on Rama. At night when he lies down to sleep, the cooling rays of the moon will caress him like
They saw there a huge banyan tree which spread its branches of dark green leaves away in all directions. Bowing down to the presiding deity of the tree, Sita offered her respects.
He prayed to the Lokapalas, the principal deities who guard the universal quarters, asking them to sanctify and protect the dwelling.
He cursed his foolish attachment to virtue that brought about such an unvirtuous end.
“It was out of infatuation for my wife alone that I exiled Rama. I did not seek any counsel with my ministers and wise advisors, being dictated to by the sinful Kaikeyi.” Dasarath wondered how he could have acted so contrary to his own good sense and wisdom. Surely this great calamity had suddenly happened by the will of Providence simply to destroy his race.
the forest. Sita seemed especially happy; much delighted at the sights and sounds of the woods.”
High-class men can never enjoy items left by others. Rama will therefore not accept the kingdom left by his younger brother, even as a tiger would not eat the food brought to him by another animal.”
Seeing me to be sorely pained, you should not increase my grief by such harsh words.”
Overcome by grief I uttered unseemly words. Grief destroys patience, eradicates knowledge and confounds the senses. Indeed, there is no enemy like grief.
Realizing that long past deed to be the cause of his present suffering,
“Without doubt a person receives the results of his own actions, good or bad,
“He who acts without consideration of the results, both immediate and long-...
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the sage, though rich in ascetic power and thereby capable of burning me with a curse, restrained himself.
god on your behalf, saying, “Although my son has been killed as a result of some former sin, he has in fact become sinless.
‘In order to release you from the terrible sin of killing an ascetic, which can drag even the gods down to hell, I shall pronounce upon you a painful curse. Just as I am dying now in the agony of separation from my son, so in the future shall you die in the grief of separation from your son.’
Bharata should be informed of the heartbreaking news while surrounded by his intimate family.
Houses were unswept, dirty-looking and bereft of splendor,
“What came into your mind, O cruel woman, that you could have perpetrated such an act? What possible gain is there for me in having the sovereignty of the earth while I stand deprived of my dearest relations? By sending my father to the next world and Rama to the forest you have heaped calamity upon calamity!”
O woman who sees evil where there is none, you have ended my family’s joy through greed alone.
“A fierce and formidable sea of grief has been unleashed by Manthara! Kaikeyi’s boons are its great waves and her words its fearful alligators. Alas, this violent ocean has swept over us all!
“The body is always dead, being composed of nothing more than lifeless matter. It is born and remains for only a short while, with destruction being its inevitable end. Only a fool grieves for the unavoidable. The wise understand that this entire world will be destroyed along with all its living creatures. It is the soul alone that will survive.”
son’s severe reaction had made Kaikeyi thoughtful. She remembered her husband’s words when she asked for the boons. He had been right. She had always loved Rama like her own son. What had possessed her so that she had desired his exile? She considered it the work of all-powerful Providence. Manthara could not be blamed.
“May the time never come when any wickedness toward Rama enters my heart. Do not have any doubts about me, O Guha. I am here to bring back Rama to Ayodhya.
“You should not censure your mother, O great prince. Do not think her guilty, for Rama’s banishment will result in good to the entire universe. Indeed, it will bring happiness to the gods, demons and rishis, along with the whole of the creation.”
“No man is free to act as he pleases. In this world the embodied soul is dragged here and there by the all-powerful force of Providence. No one can control that force. All gains will end in loss, every meeting ends in separation and all life has its end in death. As there is no fear for a ripe fruit other than a fall, so there is no fear for any man other than death.”
“The passing of days and nights quickly exhaust the life span of all beings, even as the summer sun sucks up the water in a lake,”
Death is our constant companion. He walks with us, sits with us and having gone a long distance with us when we travel, he duly returns with us.”
You are never dejected at adversity nor exhilarated at finding joy. You are always able to distinguish truth from untruth. Therefore you know what is real and what is only temporary and thus ultimately unreal. It is certainly the soul and not the body that one should nurture in this world.”
O Bharata, get yourself consecrated as king and rule the earth. I shall become the emperor of wild beasts.
thus killing vali was moral
known by his conduct alone. Although posing as a learned and cultured person, one who acts as you direct is to be accepted as sinful and debased. Those who are wise never praise a person who acts only to please his senses. Such a person is mean, selfish and greedy, driven only by lust for pleasure. His immediate happiness soon turns to distress and he sinks into a hellish condition.”
O Jabali, you should not speak in this way again, for to mislead the people is a very great sin.”
“The debt owed to one’s parents cannot be easily repaid, O learned sage.
Rama gently admonished Bharata, telling him that it was not possible for one’s promise to be fulfilled by another person.
“O venerable ones, has something in my behavior given you cause for concern? Have either my brother or I been acting in a way not worthy of our esteemed forefathers? Is Sita behaving in a way unbecoming a young woman?”
Rama followed them for some distance in order to see them off with respect.
He resembled the invincible Shiva seized with fury,
“One who continuously commits sinful acts soon sees the terrible results,
“When Rama is enraged, he cannot be tamed by any warrior.
“I do not think you will be able to defeat Rama in battle, any more than a sinful man can attain the regions of heaven.
Ravana only looked at the food and said to Maricha, “My entire army of Rakshasas led by the powerful Khara has been destroyed by Rama, a son of king Dasarath, contending single-handedly and on foot.
“O Ravana, you should not even think of staring at Rama. That lion among men, whose sharp teeth are his numberless arrows, easily kills small animals in the form of Rakshasas
